The Lab

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Lab Members

The AIDS Immunopathogenesis Unit is composed by 20 researchers working in the different projects. They are organized in teams led by a junior researcher and post-doctoral investigators together with PhD students and supported by lab technicians. Close interactions among the different teams exist as well as strong networking activities, thus creating a rich scenario for scientific exchange. Moreover, essential support is provided by our lab manager and scientific assistant. In addition, the lab is involved in teaching activities to degree, master and PhD students.

Direction

HIV reservoirs and cure

The HIV envelope

Pepe Alcamí,the boss

Olga Palao,lab Manager

Laura Capa,scientific assitant

Mayte Coiras,researcher

Mercedes Bermejo,post-doc

María Rosa López-Huertas,post-doc

Elena Mateos,technician

Mayte Pérez Olmeda,researcher

Javier García Pérez, post-doc

Nuria González,post-doc

Almudena Cascajero,technician

Laura Jiménez,technician

Host genetics

Restriction factors

Vaccines and neutralizing antibodies

Antonio Caruz, researcher

Esther Calonge,post-doc

Sara Rodríguez-Mora,post-doc

Francisco Díez, post-doc

Erick de la Torre, PhD student

Laura Jiménez,technician

Mayte Coiras, researcher

Mercedes Bermejo,post-doc

Esther Calonge,post-doc

Elena Mateos, technician

Eloísa Yuste, researcher

Nuria González, post-doc

Víctor Sánchez-Merino, post-doc

Carolina Beltrán, PhD student

Alberto Merino, technician

Antiviral and vaccine platform

Luis Miguel Bedoya,researcher

Nuria González,post-doc

Erick de la Torre,PhD student

Manuela Beltrán,technician

Visit the lab

We are based at Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), that is the equivalent in Spain to the USA Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The institution has responsibilities in basic and clinical research, epidemiological surveillance and control of outbreaks including emergent diseases. The National Microbiology Centre (ISCIII) is the reference institution for infectious diseases in Spain with more than 500 workers. The Centre is equipped with laboratories for molecular biology, and cell culture, and has access to centralized facilities including genomics, conventional and ultra-deep sequencing, proteomics, confocal microscopy, flow cytometry, animal facility and biosecurity level 3 laboratories.

The main focus of research for more than 15 years of the AIDS Immunopathology lab (IP-Lab) has been the study of HIV pathogenesis, in particular, the mechanisms involved in HIV latency and reactivation and the interactions between the viral envelope and chemokine receptors. In parallel with these basic-science approaches, an intense translational activity has been developed by the AIDS Immunopathology lab to built-up a platform based on the recombinant virus technology registered by the group (European patent No. WO2005/108588), that allows the study of resistance to antiretrovirals, screening and characterisation of the mechanism of action of new compounds, the assessment of viral tropism and titration of neutralizing antibodies (standardized by the network of excellence Europrise). In this field, we are a reference laboratory in vaccine clinical trials evaluating neutralizing activity after immunization. AIDS Immunopathology lab also carries out assays for the identification of envelope glycoprotein epitopes recognized by highly neutralizing cross-reactive antibodies.

IP-lab has the vocation of being and open-lab. To this aim we carry out collaboration with many different groups in Spain, Europe and worldwide. Besides, a strong educational activity is developed by members of the IP-Lab as professors in different masters and through the direct formation of PhD students and visiting scientists.

Former Lab Members

María Sánchez

At present, she is writing her PhD thesis on expression and function of miRNAs induced by Tat protein.

Patricia Obregón

Post-doctoral researcher at the AIDS Immunopathology Unit (2012-2015)

At present, she is a Biosecurity Advisor at the Hospital Universitario Central de la Defensa "Gómez Ulla" (HCD) in Madrid, and is the person in charge of Biosecurity in the High Level Isolation Unit (UAAN/HCD).

The lab

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